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Kadan-Jamal K, Jog A, Sophocleous M, Dotan T, Frumin P, Kuperberg Goshen T, Schuster S, Avni A, Shacham-Diamand Y. Sensing of gene expression in live cells using electrical impedance spectroscopy and DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 252:116041. [PMID: 38401280 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
A novel electrical impedance spectroscopy-based method for non-destructive sensing of gene expression in living cells is presented. The approach used takes advantage of the robustness and responsiveness of electrical impedance spectroscopy and the highly specific and selective nature of DNA hybridization. The technique uses electrical impedance spectroscopy and gold nanoparticles functionalized with single-stranded DNA complementary to an mRNA of interest to provide reliable, real-time, and quantifiable data on gene expression in live cells. The system was validated by demonstrating specific detection of the uidA mRNA, which codes for the β-glucuronidase (GUS) enzyme, in Solanum lycopersicum MsK8 cells. Gold nanoparticles were functionalized with single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides consisting of either a sequence complementary to uidA mRNA or an arbitrary sequence. The DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles were mixed with cell suspensions, allowing the gold nanoparticles to penetrate into the cells. The impedance spectra of suspensions of cells with gold nanoparticles inserted within them were then studied. In suspensions of uidA-expressing cells and gold nanoparticles functionalized with the complementary single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide, the impedance magnitude in the frequency range of interest was significantly higher (146 %) in comparison to all other controls. Due to its highly selective nature, the methodology has the potential to be used as a precision agricultural sensing system for accurate and real-time detection of markers of stress, viral infection, disease, and normal physiological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kian Kadan-Jamal
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aakash Jog
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Marios Sophocleous
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Research & Development Department, eBOS Technologies Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Tali Dotan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Polina Frumin
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Silvia Schuster
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Avni
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yosi Shacham-Diamand
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Scojen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Reichmann University, Herzliya, Israel
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Towards optimization of plant cell detection in suspensions using impedance-based analyses and the unified equivalent circuit model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19310. [PMID: 34588592 PMCID: PMC8481493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An improved approach for comparative study of plant cells for long term and continuous monitoring using electrical impedance spectroscopy is demonstrated for tomato and tobacco plant cells (MSK8 and BY2) in suspensions. This approach is based on the locations and magnitudes of defining features in the impedance spectra of the recently reported unified equivalent circuit model. The ultra-wide range (4 Hz to 20 GHz) impedance spectra of the cell lines were measured using custom probes, and were analyzed using the unified equivalent circuit model, highlighting significant negative phase peaks in the ~ 1 kHz to ~ 10 MHz range. These peaks differ between the tomato and tobacco cells, and since they can be easily defined, they can potentially be used as the signal for differentiating between different cell cultures or monitoring them over time. These findings were further analysed, showing that ratios relating the resistances of the media and the resistance of the cells define the sensitivity of the method, thus affecting its selectivity. It was further shown that cell agglomeration is also an important factor in the impedance modeling in addition to the overall cell concentration. These results can be used for optimizing and calibrating electrical impedance spectroscopy-based sensors for long term monitoring of cell lines in suspension for a given specific cell and media types.
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